The view from my "office"

[JohnK]

That’s a major event John. Congratulations on the new home.

Thanks. My wife organised everything. I was just the Uber driver and in charge of alcohol.

360 x 250mL water bottles, 20 x 2L bottles soft drink, 24 x 375mL bottles soda water, 7-8 x 1.5L local brew Thai whisky, 7-8 x 1L bottles Hong Tong, 125 x 620mL bottles beer Chang (10+ boxes), 1 x 1125mL Jim Beam, 1 x 1L Johnnie Walker.

We had buffalo Larb Wednesday night for about 20 people, Thursday lunch catered food for 192 people with 4 choices (soup, salad, fish, penang pork, desert and steamed/boiled rice), Thursday night 4.5kg chicken giblet/heart skewers (these finished quickly) and 14-15kg pork shoulder BBQ + left over lunch food.

We also had DJ all day Thursday but gave us Wednesday night free. They are trying to drum up business. The music was way too loud for this farangs ears but none of the Thais complaining. Thais really love their karaoke and dancing. Almost everyone got up to sing Thursday night.

We're now planning to be here New Years Eve and I think New Years Eve party countdown at Baan Farang.

 

[zig]

Today is Picton

 

[Flashback]

Today it was Sint Maarten (Dutch side).... and quite a busy day it was, with 4 ships docked...



....with the obligatory Maho beach visit.

This was a convertible car roof (black, left hand side of the photo) that wasn't so well connected...... it went flying off the car (broke I presume) as the engines spooled up for its takeoff roll.

Then it was time for Copa Airlines to take off, love the reactions of people as soon as it starts



... and Saint Marten (French side)

 

[prozac]

Today it was Sint Maarten (Dutch side).... and quite a busy day it was, with 4 ships docked...
View attachment 366046
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....with the obligatory Maho beach visit.
View attachment 366044
This was a convertible car roof (black, left hand side of the photo) that wasn't so well connected...... it went flying off the car (broke I presume) as the engines spooled up for its takeoff roll.
View attachment 366040
Then it was time for Copa Airlines to take off, love the reactions of people as soon as it starts
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View attachment 366050
... and Saint Marten (French side)
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That lady's black bikini bottoms look like they are about to blow off.

 

[SYD]

Today it was Sint Maarten (Dutch side).... and quite a busy day it was, with 4 ships docked...
View attachment 366046

Wow, four cruise ships including a Quantum Class (Anthem of the Seas). That’s a lot of cruisers in town on one day.

Coincidently, my last visit there was on the Jewel of the Seas (foreground) sailing out of SJU. The French side was still pretty much closed after Hurricane Irma but we had an excellent seafood lunch down the beach from the port.

On a previous visit, quite a few PAX who went to the beach for plane spotting almost missed the ship due to a traffic jam on the way back! We watch several from the sunset bar running for their lives while we sipped in daiquiris…

 

[Flashback]

Wow, four cruise ships including a Quantum Class (Anthem of the Seas). That’s a lot of cruisers in town on one day.

Coincidently, my last visit there was on the Jewel of the Seas (foreground) sailing out of SJU. The French side was still pretty much closed after Hurricane Irma but we had an excellent seafood lunch down the beach from the port.

On a previous visit, quite a few PAX who went to the beach for plane spotting almost missed the ship due to a traffic jam on the way back! We watch several from the sunset bar running for their lives while we sipped in daiquiris…

Yes, only 1 road back so that can be a problem! It didn't feel too busy considering how many ships were in.

 

[RB]

Plenty of birds visiting this week in Port Macquarie- some new youngsters getting around with parents

 

[JohnK]

Some more photos from Thursday night the last night of our housewarming. Some serious eating and drinking.









We had the BBQ going for the chicken giblet/hearts + the pork shoulder but they also brought along their own BBQ. It's one of those drums (not sure if hard plastic) on short stilts with open bottom and open top where they have the charcoal on the bottom and they hang the meat at the top then put a lid on top. Slow cooker? Apparently it enhances the flavours better as they do add quite a lot of herbs and spices to the meat before cooking and then eat with dipping sauces.



For anyone that's not been to one of these functions most of the people drinking do not have dinner but they slice the meat into small pieces and eat as they are drinking basically pacing themselves. BBQ started at 5:00pm and we still had meat cooking after 10:00pm.

And these are not real flowers but love the display one of our neighbours did for us.



Next up hopefully New Years Eve. Haven't decided how many we'll invite as there are usually many parties in the village that night.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Last few before moving on from our Interlaken regional office.

The old airport with Harder Kulm in the background.



View from the front deck of our accommodation:



Funicular on the way to Mount Niederhorn:



Summit of Niederhorn:



If you're interested, there's some more great pictures from Niederhorn in post #153 of my trip report The Castle here.

Views from Niederhon across lake Thun to the the town of Thun.


Interlaken region, Switzerland.

 

[VPS]

Bird in Hand Winery in the Adelaide Hills - stunning setting and set up

 

[VPS]

We also visited Murdoch wines - the guy obviously didn't want to be there and was a bit grumpy.

Not great wines but some nice trees

 

[Pushka]

Bird in Hand Winery in the Adelaide Hills - stunning setting and set up

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Their sparkling Pinot Noir is a special treat. It's about a km away from where I take the cat for boarding. But it's so long to get there and back from New Port I don't visit.

 

[VPS]

Their sparkling Pinot Noir is a special treat.

Not for me it isn't - I'm that weird person that doesn't like champagne or sparkling wine

 

[Ade]

Back to working at my CBR office “office” after almost 8 weeks of being away

Good sightings of planes taking off and landing good to be back at the airport.

The sky was clear as I started working but later had thunderstorms, wind and rain lashing the airport bringing almost all flights to a halt.

Some of the pics I shot today

The A220 was undergoing some maintenance today.

 

[drron]

View from today's office. IC Bangkok.








And night view from the Club.

 

[Flashback]

Nice sunset last night as we departed Sint Maarten.


Final day saw us land in Antigua and Barbuda. Flight home is delayed more than 4 hours so more compo due (as the airline is EU based) so it means the trip was free and in fact, we made a profit. I'll take that.

 

[LinaLee]

Almost home. One more plane ride to go

 

[MARTINE]

Almost home. One more plane ride to go

Cracker shots @LinaLee - welcome home

 

[zig]

Napier today.

 

[Captain Halliday]

This office is about an hour by train north of Zurich.


















Rhine Falls, Switzerland.